1st Battle of West Branch
The 1st Battle of West Branch was the first battle of the Varmint Punic War, fought on 18 May 1981. An entire brigade of raccoon armor plus a mechanized battalion overran skunk defenses on the outskirts of West Branch, then pushed into the city, where their advance was halted for the rest of the day and into the night by the heroic rear guard action of the 7th Stink Ranger Battalion . It was a tactical victory for the raccoons, but a strategic defeat, as they failed to crush the 1st Rifle Brigade and destroy the stores of compressed skunk spray. Prelude Write the first section of your page here. Rutalruppen Attack At 10:00 AM on the 18th of May, 1971 the morning calm was shattered by a Cat-made 20mm KwK 38 autocannon firing its deadly payload of 10 High Explosive rounds per magazine at the terrifying rate of 600 rounds per minute. It was the lead tank of the 44th Rumbanner Battalion , a Rumbanner Mk.2, modeled after the Panzer II of the Germans during WWII. It was a horrifying sight: 24 Rumbanners of various models streaming towards the thinly spread skunk defense line. The few anti-tank weapons available were hastily loaded with Armor Piercing shells, and swung into firing positions. At the outpost commander's mark, the guns were fired. A direct hit on a Rumbanner 38 knocked off its turret, but their cheers were short lived. A Rumbanner Mk.3 rotated its turret, bringing its 37mm gun to bear on the artillery position. The cannon flashed flame, and a spray of dirt and shrapnel washed over the crew of the AT gun. The remaining gunners were brought down by alert raccoon snipers. In less than two minutes' time, the skunks' only means of effectively dealing with tanks had been taken out. And then the infantry fight began in earnest. Although the skunks had the advantage of earthen fortifications, the raccoons had superior weapons, morale, and most importantly, numbers. The defenders began to dwindle, and then with a shrill yell, the racoons launched a charge. The few skunks left that could fire ran in abject fear of the unstoppable raccoon war machine. The tanks rolled right over the trenches and set a course for West Branch. Breakthrough of the Front Lines By 10:30 AM the skunk defenses were crumbling. There was a general retreat in the direction of West Branch. The only unit that had not entered the fight was the 7th Stink Ranger Battalion . Brigadier General Sokotia ordered the battalion to stand at attention. She solemnly gave them instructions to delay the raccoon advance long enough for the rest of the brigade to escape, but more importantly, give them enough time to empty the Grey Road Magazine of usable materiel. She asked how many Rangers were willing to possibly give their lives for the cause. To a skunk they volunteered. She sent up a prayer to Sockleah , the Goddess of True Stink . "...and may every skunk remember forever the lives given on this day, this day where the Skunk Federation was attacked without provocation. May you rest their souls, Sockleah. Saplah." Brigadier General Saliaa Sokotia A Valiant Rear Guard To the 7th Stink Rangers, the sight of their fleeing comrades steeled their resolve. For by risking their own lives, they were saving many others. Lieutenant Colonel Saranah Soklai drew up a plan for the defense of West Branch. Two key intersections would have to be held at all cost. Holding M-55 and Business 75 would stall advances from the east and south. County Highway F 24 and Fairview - the north and northeast. The Stink Rangers Pull Out Yet to come... Aftermath Yet to come...